


without a care in this life

by ParanoidAndroid (HomesickAlien)



Category: Cardfight!! Vanguard
Genre: Cray AU, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-06
Updated: 2019-06-06
Packaged: 2020-04-11 21:57:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,738
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19118479
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HomesickAlien/pseuds/ParanoidAndroid
Summary: HBD aichi





	without a care in this life

**Author's Note:**

> i did my best to write for aichikun's birthday. it's not very good but im happy only for the image of blaster blade patting aichi's head and saying happy birthday.... aahhh.... ahhh.... even though im subject to the kaiai in the end, i'm really weak for the units after all. like a beautiful family. suki, suki....
> 
> it's the second fic i've named after [a smashing pumpkins song](https://youtu.be/JB6C_zj2g5I) excuse me. i just picked the first song i listened to today for a title, it's too hard to come up with my own.

It’s too noisy in here.

Although, that much is the be expected, it’s a celebration after all, he hadn’t anticipated quite so many people to join in. He’s really grown a lot in the years since he’d been appointed a knight of the Royal Paladins, and he has an aura that attracts people to him, but he can’t really tolerate the atmosphere much. His head is spinning from it, he feels disconnected from it, but he’s still happy to see everyone having fun at the sidelines. He holds himself up by the edge of a table lined with snacks and drinks, staring aimlessly into the crowds of people until someone tugs at the edge of his shirt.

“Aichi…”

He doesn’t respond at first, his vision blurring together the sea of faces before him into one mass. “Aichi…” He’s almost forgotten this party were for him, he’d stepped far enough away to evade the less entertaining conversations. There are many people gathered here, but not so many that he can connect with intimately any. “Aichi!!” 

He jolts at the sudden yank of his shirt dragging him down to the level of the one calling out to him. “E… Emi… I’m sorry…” he laughs quietly. He stands back up straight, facing his sister properly. 

“You looked like you totally spaced out, aren’t you having fun?”

Despite how she chastises him, her face is genuine with concern for her older brother. At times one might wonder who the older one really is, Aichi can be reclusive and difficult in ways that make him seem rather meek for a knight. In this case, as well…

“I’m fine. I’m just tired that’s all, Emi…”

She smiles up at him warmly. She doesn’t question him about it any further, Aichi’s always been a little shy after all, but this is her big brother. Although he’s rarely home anymore and always off doing dangerous things, “You should smile more. You’re hardly ever home, I want to see Aichi’s smile.”

He laughs, waving his hand around his face. “I’m fine, Emi.” He smiles, nice and wide with what energy he has left to give. “See.”

Before he can really smile, his head is pushed down once again, by a large, warm, familiar hand ruffling his hair. “You shouldn’t lie to your sister,” A booming voice that dominates the entire room enters his ears. He sighs, pushing his head back against his touch and meeting the warm gaze of the knight behind him. “Happy birthday, my vanguard.”

“It’s embarrassing to be called like that…” 

Aichi says, turning his head away. But he’s grateful after all, Ahmes is a dear friend of his that’s just as much family as Emi is. In fact, all of the Royal Paladins are like family to him. He’s grown a lot in their presence, that they would all give their lives to save one another, it’s a sentiment unique to their knights after all.

“This one hasn’t matured one bit has he.”

He hears a voice call to him before feeling a harsh pat against his back. Turning to face Akane who’s smile shines with the sun, he thinks to remark back but his attention is immediately stolen by the dogs gnawing at his pants.

“I’m definitely not the same person I used to be.” Aichi says, squatting down to scruff the cheeks of Wingal at his feet. “I’m a lot better at giving speeches don’t you think?”

His first one was terribly embarrassing, he’d stumbled over half his words and left the frontlines with shaking hands. Every one after, he’s been keeping track of his thoughts, what words he’s fumbling over, taking the time to learn not to make the same mistake twice. “Don’t you think you should be more concerned about the battlefield.”

The gentle, passive aggressive remarks of their tactician, patting his shoulder before Aichi stands again. Of course he’s thinking about that too, but…

“His swordsmanship is improving just as swiftly. Soon enough he may even surpass me.”

“N… no way… There’s no way I could…”

Before he can get the thought out, two hands grip Aichi by the pits, twirling him in the sky away from the brewing commotion. 

“Aichi- _ kun _ !” His voice dances in the air around them like clouds in the sky. This terribly carefree existence that’s so far removed from the expectations that come of a knight of Shadow Paladin. Aichi recognizes him immediately even if he can’t clearly make out his face, head spinning from the way he’s been tossed around so suddenly. “Happy birthday. You know, I brought you the best gift of all.”

“Are you expecting some kind of praise? Please put me down.”

“Praise me~ Praise me~”

Ren has always been this kind of enigmatic storm blowing through Aichi’s life. Though there was a time the two of them could never get along, that the Royal Paladins and the Shadow Paladins were at one another’s throats, he’s happy to see them all gathered here to celebrate Aichi together. He’s happy the United Sanctuary can be whole once again, that he and Ren specifically can be friends. 

“I haven’t even seen your gift yet.”

Ren puts Aichi back on his feet, his smile bright and childish as he hums his own pleasantries. 

“My gift is right here, right! Hey, hey, K—“

Before Ren has time to finish, Aichi is distracted by someone pulling at his arm. This seems to be happening a lot tonight, Aichi being dragged like a rag doll, if they keep tugging at him he might grow a few inches taller. He looks to the perpetrator, but their face is entirely covered except for their eyes. Of course, someone as close to this one as Aichi can tell immediately just by that icy glare that strikes his heart like lightning, and still he plays along with this, letting the one before him carry him like a bride out the doors of the hall. Aichi can hear Ren’s whining even all the way out here, he’ll have to thank him properly for this sometime later, but for now he’s simply grateful to be away from all the noise inside.

Not that he isn’t happy, but..

“Thank you.”

Aichi says, unwrapping the face of his captor like the best present he’s ever received. The Empire and the Sanctuary are at war now, their border security is as tight as ever, and it’s been some time since Aichi’s last seen his face. 

“Kai…”

“Happy birthday, Aichi.”

“I’m surprised you’d remember something like that.”

Dragons live a very long time, and in a case such as Kai’s, he’s not even certain when he were actually born in the first place. Even amongst humans of the Empire, these kinds of celebrations are rare after all. Maybe Kai didn’t actually remember at all, maybe it were all just Ren’s meddling, but he’s happy to be in Kai’s arms tonight more than any other. This is the best fate of all, to him. 

Kai keeps silent as he carries Aichi out the back doors, a little ways outside the castle they held their celebration in. He looks up until Aichi follows his gaze with wide eyes, watching the shimmer of the billions of stars in the night sky. “Isn’t it lovely,” Kai says, putting Aichi down. “It’s like a blessing that you were born.”

“Don’t say embarrassing things like that.” Aichi says, shoving Kai’s face. “I’m happy you were born, too. Let’s celebrate the both of us, tonight.”

Aichi takes Kai’s hand, pulling him closer to dance with him. It’s silent but the chirping of crickets and the light breeze that ruffles the trees. The flow of distant rivers and the beat of Kai’s heart against Aichi’s chest. The pulse of his blood against Aichi’s wrist. He remarks the subtle differences between their bodies; Kai’s tail waving pleasantly in the air, his sharp claws digging into the back of Aichi’s hands, his warm breath over Aichi’s forehead. Kai is terribly cool despite being equally embarrassing. Aichi loves this person more than any star in the sky, what a double-sided coin he is, neither human nor dragon. Neither cool nor shy. He doesn’t fit in anywhere in the world, anywhere but in Aichi’s heart. He smiles against Kai’s chest.

“Thank you.” 

He says, but it’s not enough to convey just how happy he is. Kai takes the lead himself, pulling up Aichi’s chin between his fingertips. His smile is gentle, a rare existence that Aichi wants to take a picture just to immortalize this moment. But what makes it special is just how fleeting it is, how swift Kai is to press their lips together, to close this aching gap between them. 

Kai has such a warm aura that embraces Aichi everytime they rendezvous. At times it can be overwhelming, suffocating, an apocalyptic wind that devours all that crosses its path. But Aichi doesn’t mind this, the fear of dying in this embrace was never there to begin with. He’s always been in love with this existence, even when it’s difficult, Aichi finds himself the happiest in this flame that destroys all. He feels, perhaps he is the only one who can blossom in it. He wants to keep growing with him, the person who first saved his life. The enemy that first kissed him.

He doesn’t have to tell him he loves him, those words are an open secret lying between them. Ren had been right to say he’d gotten Aichi the perfect gift, even now he doesn’t want to step away from this. He loses time in Kai’s arms, counting stars in the sky until he loses track and has to begin anew. That is the way of their secret love. 

_ Happy birthday, Aichi… _

  
  


Somewhere in the back of his mind, he can sense this ominous glare burning against his back sending a shiver down his spine. There’s definitely someone watching him, but he pays it no mind in Kai’s arms. The knight watching from the doorway grips his sword so tightly he might even injure himself. “There’s no harm in it,” wingal says to him, hanging off the Knight’s shoulder. “It’s young love after all.”

Ahmes can’t help but feel protective over him, awaiting the moment that Kai slips up to protect his little brother’s heart from breaking. He understands best the demon dragons of the Empire. Although, perhaps he is too overprotective.

**Author's Note:**

> comment or whateverrrrr please write many fanfics of ahmeschan holding his sword to kaikuns throat to protect his little brother it is my ideal www


End file.
